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Denim Day is April 29, 2015!

Make a Statement with Your
Fashion Statement- Wear Denim in Support of Survivors!

Help Dispel the Myths Surrounding Sexual Violence!

Denim Day in USA will be held this year on April 29, 2015. This campaign gives people the chance to make a social
statement with their fashion statement while supporting survivors of sexual
assault and spreading awareness about sexual violence. AVA-CASA
will be continuing their support as registered participants for their 8th year
by providing free ribbons to the community.

It all began in Italy, 1990: An 18-year old girl is picked up by her married 45-year old driving instructor
for her very first lesson. He takes her to an isolated road, pulls her out of
the car, wrestles her out of one leg of her jeans and forcefully rapes her.
Threatened with death if she tells anyone, he makes her drive the car home.
Later that night she tells her parents, and they help and support her to press
charges. The perpetrator gets arrested and is prosecuted. He is convicted of
rape and sentenced to jail.

He appeals the sentence. The
case makes it’s all the way to the Italian Supreme Court. Within a matter of
days the case against the driving instructor is overturned, dismissed, and the
perpetrator released. In a statement by the Chief Judge, he argued, “because
the victim wore very, very tight jeans, she had to help him remove them, and by
removing the jeans it was no longer rape but consensual sex.”

Enraged by the verdict, within
a matter of hours the women in the Italian Parliament launched into immediate
action and protested by wearing jeans to work. This call to action motivated
and emboldened the California Senate and Assembly to do the same, which in turn
spread to Patricia Giggans, Executive Director of Peace Over Violence, and
Denim Day in LA was born. The first Denim Day in LA was in April 1999, and has
continued every year since.

Organized annually by Peace Over Violence, Denim Day in LA
and Denim Day USA recall an Italian court case that sparked international
outrage when judges did not convict a rapist because the victim wore jeans. The
judges ruled that because the victim was wearing tight jeans, she must have
helped her attacker remove them, thus implying consent.

Since then, Denim Day in LA and Denim Day USA has grown to
become a national movement held annually during April, which is Sexual Assault
Awareness Month.

“RAPE IS A GLOBAL EPIDEMIC,” “WHEN DATING BECOMES DANGEROUS”
and “NO EXCUSE” are three of the sexual assault excuses highlighted in the ads,
which are designed to inspire a critical dialogue about violence prevention. Materials
are available for purchase at http://shop.peaceoverviolence.org/collections/denimday.

Across America, every two and a half minutes, someone is sexually
assaulted. One in six American women have been the victim of attempted rape or
completed rape. 82.8% of intimate partner rapes are NOT reported to law
enforcement. This statistic also applies to Winnemucca. Then why aren’t many
reported to law enforcement? There are several reasons and the biggest one
being that the victim often knows the offender. There are worries of
retaliation, fear the victim “led him on”, humiliation, and embarrassment. In a
small town like ours, the word gets out quickly. Would you, readers, want
everyone knowing about the worst, most invasive and very personal moment of
your life? Another reason is sexual assault exams are not performed locally in
Winnemucca. A victim would have to travel to Reno for an exam. After a traumatic and very painful experience, many
victims do not want to sit in a vehicle for that long to go through yet,
another painful experience. Additionally, when a victim does choose to have a
sexual assault kit done, they cannot urinate, defecate, eat, drink, chew gum,
smoke, wash any part of their body, brush their teeth, or change clothing until
after the kit is completed. Keep in
mind, they must wait until the time of their appointment in Reno (sexual
assault exams are no longer considered emergency, as they are often made by
appointment now), complete the exam (which can take up to three hours), then
drive back to Winnemucca to shower and rest. The reason for this is sexual
assault kits are done to assist in investigation and prosecution of the
offender. The victim is the crime
scene. As a practice in empathy, can you, readers, understand why some victims
choose not to go through this process?

The AVA-CASA is working to expel the myths surrounding sexual violence
and help survivors understand that rape is never their fault. No circumstances,
whether the couple is in a relationship, how the victim was dressed, whether
alcohol or other drugs were ingested: nothing excuses sexual violence.

AVA-CASA
provides various programs, resources and referrals for survivors and secondary
survivors of sexual violence, relationship abuse, child abuse and neglect, and
bullying. Anyone wanting further information is encouraged to contact AVA-CASA.

AVA-CASA will be holding their annual Denim Day celebration by
making free denim ribbons available to the public. Denim ribbons are made
available for those who may not be able to wear denim at work or for those who
would rather show their support by wearing a ribbon. People may call, email, or
contact us via our website to request ribbons and they will be delivered at no
cost. Donations are happily accepted and appreciated!

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Volunteer with us!

Humboldt AVA needs volunteers to help with outreach activities, fundraising and more! If you or anyone you know is interested in volunteering with AVA, let us know! Or click on the links above to get started today!
We’re always happy to have more ideas and helping hands!